Mets sending a 'pissed off' Matt Harvey to the bullpen to try and get one-time ace back in form

ATLANTA — Matt Harvey is not a starting pitcher anymore. The one-time Mets ace was demoted to the bullpen Saturday after struggling in his first four starts of the season. The move, announced by Mets manager Mickey Callaway, is one that the Mets hope will help him fix himself enough to eventually return as a successful starter.

But for now, the one-time star of this rotation has been sent to the bullpen, and obviously he's not happy about it.

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"On a scale of 1 to 10, I obviously am at a 10 with being pissed off," Harvey said. "My performance hasn't been there and I have to do whatever I have to do to get back in the starting rotation. Right now it's go to the bullpen, work on some things to get where I need to be and get my (stuff) in order and figure it out."

Once the face of this franchise, this is what Harvey and the Mets have to hope is the bottom of a significant fall from grace.

Harvey said he was 'pissed' with the situation and himself.

"A little bit of everything," Harvey said. "My performance obviously wasn't there as a starter. It's frustrating for me knowing that the ability is there, it just hasn't been coming out. I think now it's important to go out and show that the last three innings (from Thursday night) will carry over. Put up some quality innings and hopefully get back in the rotation."

Since 2016 surgery for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Harvey has been struggling to find his command and his velocity has dropped off significantly. His fastball, once sitting at 96 miles an hour, is now averaging 92-93 miles per hour.

While he said this spring was the first he felt healthy in years, it has not translated to results.

Harvey got rocked early in his start here Thursday night, allowing six runs in 2.1 innings, which was seemingly the last straw. Lefty Jason Vargas, who is on the disabled list recovering from a fractured bone in his right hand, is scheduled to make a minor league rehab start Monday and then, barring any setback, slip into the rotation. Harvey, 0-2, with a 6.00 ERA is the odd man out.

Callaway and pitching coach Dave Eiland sat Harvey down Saturday and explained that he would be going to the bullpen. The Mets never discussed asking Harvey to accept an assignment to the minors, Mets assistant GM John Ricco said. Instead, he emphasized that this move is about getting Harvey back into the rotation eventually.

"This is less about making Matt a reliever and more about getting him back to being a productive starter," Ricco said. "At this time, one of the reasons we brought in Mickey and Dave Eiland was for their knowledge and expertise….. We have a lot of confidence we can get Matt back to where he needs to be."

Both Callaway, as the pitching coach in Cleveland, and Eiland have seen this path work for starters in the past. Eiland used this approach with Danny Duffy in Kansas City and Callaway did it with Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar and Trevor Bauer.

"When you are trying to start, a lot of guys think about going seven innings. They feel like if I don't go seven innings you are a failure. That's not the case at all. In the bullpen, they develop a sense of every inning, getting an out at a time and making sure they go from there," Callaway said. "That approach in the first inning, close that out and take it into the second inning, then build momentum and then they are worried about what's happening five, six innings later, you can concentrate on the moment."

Callaway thinks Harvey will be effective out of the bullpen because of his ability to throw strikes.

He may not be happy, but Harvey doesn't have to be. He knows he has to be better.

"That's a decision they've made. I have to suck it up and do everything I can to get things back in gear," Harvey said. "I think I don't have to agree with and I have to go out there and get things going. I'll do everything I can to help this team get back to ultimately where I believe I can help this team. That's as a starter. Right now, I just have to work on some stuff, get people out."